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Abstract
Current trends in protective textiles and smart fabrics try
to find a symbiosis of protection and clothing. Textiles for protection is the
fruit of a diverse body of talents, drawing together scientific and technical
expertise from around the world, to produce an important source of current
knowledge on textile materials & clothing, and their use in the protection
of humans in hostile environments. This paper describes the idea of a smooth
combination of the two worlds of protection and clothing.
Significant technological advances are occurring in the
protective clothing industry in search for improved means for the protection of
human beings. Ongoing concern for worker safety, protection from life threatening
and disabling injuries and illness, and protection for personnel from fire,
chemical agents etc, has resulted in the continued improvement in the
protective clothing industry. Changes have affected the structure of the
industry; various endures have placed demands on better performing products. These
advances in technology, such as new materials and manufacturing processes for
advanced textiles, have created greatly improved protective fabrics.
Nowadays, most of the advances are taking place in the field
of defence, sports, fire protection, radiation protection etc. This paper deals
with some of the recent advances in the protective textiles and their field of
applications.
INTRODUCTION
Safety and protective textiles refer to garments and other
fabric-related items designed to protect the wearer from harsh environmental
effects that may result in injury or death. Textiles are no more limited for
use as apparels clothing is just are but not the only purpose of textiles with
the rapid changes in the social economic structure of our society. Similarly,
textiles enhancing the quality of human life trough protection against various
hazards as well as protection of environment are todays priorities were
scientist all around the world are breaking their heads.The environment is
consider to have the highest priority where protection of individual is
considered as in the defence application such as rain, snow, fog, wind, lighting,
sun light, dust and also it should have to survive the intense heat, cold,
wetness, UV light, wind-chill and other discomforts on land, sea and in the
air.
ADVANCES IN PROTECTIVE FABRICS
The protective clothing industry is undergoing significant
change as a direct result of rapid advances in technology and manufacturing
processes. These advances in technology, such as new materials and
manufacturing processes for advanced textiles, have created greatly improved
protective fabrics. A number of current research and development programs are
leading to commercialization of new technologies on a international scale.
Some of the advances in protective fabrics are:
Active protection system
Aluminized fabrics
Protective flex
Thermal sensitivity fabrics
Protection against biological and chemical threats
Complete armour protection system
Advanced soldier ballistic protection
ACTIVE PROTECTION SYSTEM
APS is an
intelligent fabric that consists of three dimensional spacer textile treated
with specially formulated, responsive silicone coating. It remains soft and
flexible under normal conditions, but when stressed under high impact force,
the material instantly becomes rigid, and then immediately returns to a
flexible state .The technology behind APS consists of a soft, malleable and
formable dilatant silicone, which is impregnated into a three dimensional
spacer textile support. The silicone composition consists of polymers that show
transient bonding to a cross linking component. Under normal conditions, the
polymers are bonded to the cross linker so that the bonds open when subjected
to a long period deformation force, which allow the material to flow. When this
force is removed, the bonds easily reform again, returning the silicone to its
original soft state.
